I tried to do a search, but nothing substantial came up. I have a quick question for my fellow haunters...

Blood Lake is creating a new wooded trail this year, and we've been going back and forth on the best way to mark the path for our guests. Rope seems to be the obvious way, and we're pretty set on that. Any clever suggestions or tips before we begin roping this, though? Thanks!

Tie orange tags on the rebar you use or what ever you use to support the ropes.
We dont at the our trail and when I am walking from scene to scene while roaming I nail them all the time.
It sucks.
But other then that make sure the rope is visible. We have had people trip and run into it and all this other garbage.

We recently visited a outdoor haunt that was in the woods and they just used railroad ties along the path. they also used many LED spot lights and told their guests to follow the lights to the next part of the haunt.

Is it possible to mark the path in different way based on the sets that are coming up , Like PVC grave yard fence in one area, rope in another, 3'fence panels.
In the past I used old fence panels (free from fence company) and cut them in half , I used T posts and zip ties to hold them up.
Allen H

Years ago when we used to have our wooded trail, we simply pulled fallen tree limbs and undergrowth that we cleared to the sides of the path. In places where it wasn't as defined as we wanted, we added rope lights that we hazed with paint overspray to make the brush glow a bit. We did use barge rope handrails in places, but only where there were drop offs or terrain features that could be slippery. Our property was quite hilly, and groups were escorted by guides through certain areas, but then they were turned loose in the more grown up areas of the path. They were told to walk toward the light which was a lantern held by their next guide that would take them through another short leg of the trail. Beside keeping our guides from getting totally exhausted by walking the hills all night, this also allowed each group to be on their own for the darkest portions of the trail. These zones would hide actors that could maneuver wherever they needed and also to control any gags along the way. The scrub and brush along the path also gave us a great (and very cheap but effective gag) where we would tie off string lines to rattle and shake the brush along the sides of the trail. We've been in our present location for five years now, but I still miss that trail. It's dark and you are in the woods....for scare appeal, you are already half way there.

We have been using mulch for years. It is easy on the environment, and easy to mark the trails if we need to expand. Last year we also ran flexible rope lighting along the ground. The ropes marked the trail, added some safety, and did not light the rest of the woods. The insurance rep loved the idea.

Thanks for all the great ideas. We definitely want the scene and environment to move patrons around the most... keep it as natural as possible. Ropes will be for safety and a last resort if we can't naturally create a path. I'll try to post pictures within the next few weeks of the build. Thanks again, and keep suggestions coming if you have them!